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Miami is beloved for its beaches and waterfront homes and businesses. See how engineers and planners are trying to protect Miami from rising seas and ever-more-frequent and violent storm surges that could destroy the city’s tourist and business economy.

See firsthand why London’s Thames Barrier is no longer enough to keep the city safe from rising tides. The system has worked for decades, but due to increased environmental challenges, its location on a flood plain and heavy urbanization, London must now explore both low-tech fixes and some of the most advanced engineering solutions in the world.

See how Tokyo is looking for new ways to fight back against rising waters. Typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes and sinking neighborhoods threaten one of the world’s most populous cities, and the economic engine of Japan, with some of the world’s largest problems.

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Blondie is still putting out new music and rocking out for fans everywhere! Debbie Harry and her band bring their mix of pop, rock and punk sounds to Soundstage, performing hits such as “The Tide is High,” “One Way or Another,” and “Heart of Glass” in an electrifying concert.

We did something a little different at the second KĀKOU Town Hall, televised and streamed live for two hours on PBS Hawai‘i April 19.

Mostly, we let the conversation unfold naturally. This wasn’t a shout-‘em-down event; it was a respectful Hawai‘i discussion in which people from different backgrounds and perspectives mulled quality-of-life answers.

Our topic was The Global Squeeze: How Do We Keep Hawai‘i Hawai‘i? Thirty-eight thoughtful invitees gathered, 16 of them Neighbor Islanders.

Participants were quick to point out that many residents, especially Native Hawaiians, are feeling that they need to leave Hawai‘i, as they weigh earnings against sky-high housing prices and a heavy burden of state and local taxes. Some characterized tourism as a perpetual engine that is running unchecked.

A high school junior, Rebecca Meyer, expects to move away. She noted that she’s never visited some special places on her home island of O‘ahu, because tourists are overrunning them.

The Dean of the UH Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, Dr. Jon Osorio, said, “We need to have political and economic change if Hawaiians are going to stay here. And honestly, if Hawaiians disappear from here, it isn’t Hawai‘i anymore.”

Dr. Maenette Benham, UH-West O‘ahu Chancellor, said that what keeps Hawai‘i Hawai‘i is the cultural values that young people hold in their na‘au, or gut, and how they use them as a driving force to uplift community.

Jay Fidell reminded everyone that cost-of-living anxiety dates back decades. “How do you convert that into recognizing the sea change and doing something about it?”

T. Ilihia Gionson of Kona said a good next step is voting in the upcoming election for a worthy candidate – “and if you don’t see one, maybe it’s supposed to be you.”

A younger Hawaiian by a generation, Keoni Lee, offered that sovereignty should be viewed by non-Hawaiians as an opportunity, not a threat, as Native Hawaiians can lead the way in sustainability practices that once made their homeland flourish.

Maui’s Kainoa Horcajo preferred to call this “home rule” rather than sovereignty. He said, “It’s not just a kānaka thing, it’s a kākou thing…That is the way we truly solve all of these problems.”

Peter Adler, a professional in conflict resolution, listened intently during the program but chose not to speak. He told me later: “In certain settings, a shut mouth gathers no foot.”

You can find this discussion online at pbshawaii.org. Look for our next KĀKOU Town Hall this fall.

In our second live town hall, we pause to consider where we are, and where we want to be. Change is inevitable. Some changes come quietly, incrementally, over years; others seem to emerge all of a sudden and nearly full-blown. How is Hawai‘i changing – for better, for worse, or both?

This is not a conversation about major controversial events that have been dividing our community. This is not a conversation about pro-this, or anti-that. This is a discussion about the finer details of life in Hawai‘i that affect our sense of place. What details compromise the core essence of Hawai‘i – and where are we willing to draw the line?

We’ve invited 40 individuals from across the state to participate in this frank, respectful and community-based discussion in our studio. We invite you to join the conversation through email and social media, using the hashtag #pbskakou. You can watch the live broadcast on PBS Hawai‘i, or the live stream on pbshawaii.org and PBS Hawai‘i’s Facebook page.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will deliver his annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 30.

Join us on Tuesday, January 30th at 4:00 pm for PBS NewsHour’s coverage of President Trump’s State of the Union Address, the Democratic party’s response, and in-depth analysis from the PBS NewsHour team.

In this first live discussion, we ask: “Have You Fact-Checked Your Truth?” We take on the meaning of “truth” and how we view truth in an era of “fake news,” “trolling” and filter bubbles on social media. Is there one truth – or is truth in the eye of the beholder?

Short-term vacation rental companies like Airbnb are changing the tourism industry – and quite possibly your neighborhood. Opponents of this phenomenon say illegal or “underground” vacation rentals drive up housing prices and change the character of neighborhoods. Airbnb proponents say it has stabilized Hawai‘i’s housing market. Local data indicates 19 percent of homeowners partner with Airbnb to avoid foreclosure, and 60-65 percent participate so they can afford to stay in their homes. Differing perspectives on this issue will be heard on this INSIGHTS, televised live, and live streamed on pbshawaii.org and Facebook.

Your questions and comments are welcome via phone, email and via Twitter during the Live Broadcast.

Phone Lines:
462-5000 on Oahu or 800-238-4847 on the Neighbor Islands.

The phrase “speak truth to power” is often used to describe an act of courage and non-violence, standing up for what one believes to be the truth, despite resistance from powerful forces. We often think of figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Anita Hill, or the man who stood in the path of tanks in Tiananmen Square.

Perhaps the people who have changed our own community by speaking truth to power are our greatest inspiration. On INSIGHTS, we’ll ask three of them about the meaning of truth and how it inspired them personally to face powerful opposition: Attorney General Doug Chin, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of the State of Hawai‘i that successfully challenged the second national travel ban; Randy Roth, a community activist and co-author of Broken Trust; and Loretta Sheehan, trial attorney and member of the Honolulu Police Commission. Colin Moore, UH political science professor and Director of the Public Policy Center, is also scheduled to join this discussion.

Your questions and comments are welcome via phone, email and via Twitter during the Live Broadcast.

Phone Lines:
462-5000 on Oahu or 800-238-4847 on the Neighbor Islands.